It was Career Day on Friday for students in the Trona Unified School District. Kids in grades 7-12 heard from members of law enforcement, the military, the health care industry and media, to name just a few.

Beatrix Ramirez, ROP specialist with the district, said the response from both kids and presenters has been outstanding and positive. Kids were able to chose what speakers they wanted to hear from and were allowed to ask questions after the presentations.

Teacher and sports coach Jeff Tuckness said this year’s event was much more accepted by students and successful due to the efforts of Superintendent David Olney. Olney has been pushing college preparedness and programs like AVID, or Advancement via Individual Determination.

Many of the students were engaged and asked questions; some came up to the speakers following the presentations to ask for advice.

Darlena Dotson, public information officer and sworn uniformed officer for the California Highway Patrol, was speaking on both of her careers. She planned on talking about what it is to be a PIO and a cop, because before she became the media affairs spokesperson she was first a deputy in a patrol car.

B.C. Corbin, operations manager for BOB FM 103.9 in Ridgecrest, was going to talk about broadcasting and radio careers and the industry money makers – advertising and voiceovers. Corbin joked that voiceovers seem to be where the jobs and money are at right now. He added it is advertising that keeps the doors open and the lights on.

Elena Vitale of High Desert Talent Agency & Casting of Ridgecrest was going to talk about being in pictures, being an actor and careers in film. Vitale is the local go-to casting agent for production crews that come to the area looking for local stand-ins and actors.

Artist Cheryl McDonald talked about fine art, graphic design and careers for the creatively inclined. Most importantly, she talked about how to make a living being an artist.

Presenters were asked to talk about their job, how they got there, what it takes to get there and who motivated them. Some presenters brought props and everyone dressed in their respective uniforms.

They were also asked about their specific job paths, typical work days and salaries and education required.

Page 2 of 2 - Griffin, a patient access coordinator at RRH, talked to students in Tuckness’ classroom.

She explained her education and her other career path that eventually led her to work in the medical field. Her job as the Emergency Room patient account representative requires typing and other clerical skills. She said one important thing to know at her job is knowing medical terminology and, the most critical aspect of the job, people skills.

She said ERs have become busier places as more people are using the facility as its primary physician. More patients can mean more stress for the workers — “I don’t know why they call them patients; they’re not always patient,” Griffin said with a laugh.

It’s not uncommon for patients to get impatient waiting to be seen in the ER as people who have shown up after they did are seen first. Griffin said people have to realize or know what’s going behind the curtain. He said there are usually patients in need of care with more urgency than others.

This shouldn’t hinder a medical professional’s compassion and dedication to their job.

“The question I ask myself is, ‘How would I want to be treated?’” Griffin explained. She said the most rewarding part of her job is to watch someone come in the ER in pain, but leave with a smile.

She had advice for the kids and everybody when it comes to ER visits. She encouraged everyone to carry some sort of identification, emergency contact numbers and advanced directives on their person at all times. She said in a dire, emergency situation sometimes there is no way to identify a person, or a body. Advanced directives is a deep subject. It states how a person wants to be treated in their final moments, such as to be kept alive on a respirator or not. She said it was something she didn’t really think about herself until she got the job.

Tuckness told Griffin that she is one of the most important people at the hospital. She is the face of the hospital, the person on this side of the curtain that helps to ensure people their loved ones are being treated and cared for by the best professionals. Griffin makes people feel better just as much as the physicians.